More than 90% of hoteliers in Bulgaria report difficulties in recruiting employees, with roles such as cooks, maids, and waiters being the most sought after. These findings come from a study conducted by the Bulgarian Hotel Forum, presented during the 10th Conference on Investment and Hotel Management at the National Palace of Culture, BNR reports.

The main factors behind the labor shortage include low motivation to work in tourism, negative demographic trends in the country, and the seasonal nature of the sector. Many hotel managers anticipate that these staffing challenges will only intensify in the coming years. Georgi Duchev, director of the Hotel Forum, emphasized that while some hotels succeed in attracting personnel, retaining and engaging them remains the real challenge.

Interestingly, low pay, often pointed to as the primary problem in the industry, is cited after other issues. Hotels typically adopt a mixed approach when seeking staff, combining internal recruitment efforts with the use of intermediaries.

According to Duchev, the highest demand is for cooks, followed by maids, waiters, and receptionists. Technical roles are also in demand, while bartenders and management staff are less affected. In approximately 70% of hotels, foreign employees make up no more than 10% of the workforce, and about a quarter of facilities do not employ foreign staff at all. Many hoteliers see a long-term solution in the education, training, and development of Bulgarian workers.